Research Associate in Land Systems Science

Salary: £37,369 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 11 November 2026 

The Role

We are excited to launch this new opportunity for a Research Associate in Land Systems Science to join us in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences. You will join the TROPS research lab of Prof Marion Pfeifer, working with her on her new ERC project, TIF-CER, ‘From Forests to Fields to Sustainable Rural Landscapes: A Multiscale Framework for Quantifying Biodiversity and Climate Interrelationships’, running from January 2027 to December 2031.

TIF-CER seeks to understand how the structure and configuration of tree-based agricultural systems (trees in farms - TIFs) influence climate regulation, biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services and disservices. The project brings together ecological, environmental and social science approaches to understand these relationships from the scale of individual trees through farms and landscapes to catchments, and across contrasting agroclimatic contexts.

In this position, you will work with Marion and international research partners to quantify climate and biodiversity functions and associated ecosystem services and disservices of TIFs, with a particular focus on hydrological processes, water use, flood and drought risks, and their implications at farm and catchment scales. You will contribute to the development and application of mechanistic models, integrate field and spatial data, and work with ecological and biodiversity researchers to understand how these processes change through time.

TIF-CER is working with partners in the UK, Italy, Philippines, Tanzania, Chile and Tunisia to:

• establish an international network of field plots in TIFs and adjacent agricultural land uses and natural forests across contrasting agroclimatic zones;
• quantify services and disservices associated with TIFs and establish mechanisms underlying their delivery across spatial scales;
• analyse temporal trajectories of functions, services and disservices using co-designed scenario models of land-use and climate change; and
• develop tools for end-users using robust evidence for decision-making on tree planting in farms.

The position is full-time (1.0 FTE) and involves substantial international travel, particularly during years 1 and 2 of the project. You will contribute to the design and implementation of field campaigns and train research assistants in standardised data collection across different local contexts. You will be expected to co-supervise two PhD students and work with a diverse range of stakeholders to identify values associated with the functions that TIFs provide at different spatial scales.

Your particular focus will be on climate functions and associated services and disservices at tree, farm and catchment scales. You will work closely with another Research Associate on the project, whose focus will be on biodiversity functions and connectivity.

This is a five-year project with ambitious timelines. We are looking for a candidate who can work across disciplines and spatial scales, combine modelling with field-based research, and contribute to the development of an international research network.

What happens next

Interviews will be held in early November 2026. We are looking to appoint to both Research Associate positions by Spring 2027 at the latest, with the successful candidates expected to start as soon as possible thereafter, subject to the relevant contractual arrangements. We encourage candidates who are interested in the position to contact Prof Marion Pfeifer informally before applying to discuss the role and the TIF-CER project (marion.pfeifer@newcastle.ac.uk). As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf. These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Find out more about the Faculty here: Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering | Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering | Newcastle University

Find out more about School: School of Natural and Environmental Sciences | School of Natural and Environmental Sciences | Newcastle University

Contact for the post is marion.pfeifer@newcastle.ac.uk

To apply please upload your CV and cover letter evidencing how your skills and experiences align to the "knowledge skills and experiences" , as outlined within the job description.

Key Accountabilities

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

Project specific key accountabilities

• Develop and apply mechanistic models to quantify hydrological processes and climate-related risks associated with tree-based agricultural systems at farm and catchment scales
• Integrate field observations, remote sensing and spatial datasets with hydrological and land-system models to investigate relationships between TIF structure, land management, climate and ecosystem functions
• Lead or contribute to the design and implementation of standardised field data collection across the international TIF-CER network and support the training of research assistants and local research teams
• Work collaboratively with ecologists, biodiversity scientists, social scientists and local stakeholders to integrate biophysical and social dimensions of TIFs within the project
• Contribute to co-designed scenario modelling and the development of decision-support tools for understanding the consequences of alternative land-use, tree-planting and climate-change scenarios

 The Person

 Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Extensive applied experience of using mechanistic modelling approaches to investigate hydrological processes and/or flood and drought risks at catchment scales
• Knowledge and experience of land systems science, geomorphology, hydrology and/or remote sensing, with the ability to integrate spatial and temporal environmental datasets
• Experience of working across disciplinary boundaries, particularly with ecologists and/or biodiversity scientists, and an understanding of how environmental systems and their functions change through time
• Experience of designing and implementing field research in rural and/or tropical landscapes, including working with local research teams and stakeholders to co-design research processes and outcomes
• Excellent quantitative modelling and data analysis skills, including experience of applying statistical and/or spatial modelling approaches to environmental datasets
• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences
• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results
• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues
• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
• Awareness of the research environment
• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity
• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications
• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team

Attributes and Behaviour

• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines
• Commitment to continued professional development
• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

 Qualifications

• PhD in geomorphology, hydrology, remote sensing, land systems science, environmental science or a closely related discipline

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29890